Minnesota-based band Fades Away was traveling with Icon For Hire as the opening act, and local bands Stitched and Etchmark rounded out the bill for the evening. All of the bands tended towards the harder side of the rock spectrum, providing an incredibly energetic atmosphere.

 

The opening two bands provided solid performances before Fades Away took the stage. They drew heavily from their album Perceptions. The band seemed to be honestly enjoying their time on stage, which in turn made their set a lot more fun for the audience. Even though most of the crowd was not familiar with their songs, their energy was infectious.

 

Icon For Hire took over the dimly-lit stage shortly after Fades Away stepped down. They came on stage to the opening strains of their track "Theatre."

 

I’ve seen many hard rock bands over the past few years, but very few have taken over the stage with as much confident, explosive passion as Icon For Hire. Lead singer Ariel is impossible to ignore with her almost iridescent pink hair and her powerhouse voice. Ariel shared with me that they were on show nine of what would be thirteen shows in ten days. Despite the weariness this should have produced, their energy seemed endless. The words of "Theatre" were fitting: “I want to live like I lost the script and scream every line like this is it.”

 

They moved into "Up in Flames" next. It is a testimony to Icon For Hire’s performance that the crowd returned almost as much energy as the band put out, even though Icon For Hire had only just released their debut album and most of the audience didn’t know many of the songs yet. The solid rock tracks "Off With Her Head" and "Get Well" followed, showcasing Shawn Jump and Josh Kincheloe on guitar and bass.

 

Taking a moment to slow the evening down a bit, Icon For Hire moved into "Only A Memory," followed by a strong drum solo by Adam Kronshagen. His energy and precision got a strong response from the crowd, who urged him on throughout the performance.

 

After Adam finished his solo, Ariel stopped to talk to the audience. Ariel talked about the necessity to step up and do the things that we know are right, to stop allowing ourselves to be paralyzed by circumstances. It was a very fitting subject for her to speak on, and their performance that evening gave her credibility. Icon For Hire was not holding anything back. They played as if the whole world was listening.

 

They moved into "Pieces" before closing off the night with their single "Make a Move." Although it was the last song, they didn’t slow themselves down. They remained strong to the last notes of the last song, leaving a room breathless and wanting more.

 

That evening, Icon For Hire put on a performance that was incredibly strong musically. They are one of the strongest Christian rock bands I have seen come on the scene in years, and their album Scripted has become a personal favorite. However, seeing them live added a whole new dimension to how I understand their identity of a band. Icon For Hire is out to scream some color into a gray world. They displayed an incredible passion, singing with honesty the anthems of the unashamed. Their strong music backed by their commitment to action and to truth has the potential to impact many lives, and I was extremely privileged to get to stand in the audience and scream along with them, if only for one evening.